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Thursday, March 19, 2009

Could Indian Wells be Victoria Azarenaka's big coming out party (and no, not in THAT way silly)?

The big-hitting Belarusian upset top seed and World No.2 Dinara Safina6-7(4), 6-1, 6-3 in the quarterfinals at Indian Wells. Vika was broken while serving for the first set and lost out in the tie-breaker but dominated the rest of the way. It was her first win over the Russian and will now meet Vera Zvonareva, a Russian whom she's never beaten either, for a spot in the big final.

I've been touting Vika this season and predicting something big for her, especially on the hardcourts. Her forehand is still slappy and can be hit a little late while her serve can still be much improved. But I'm pretty impressed with the 19-year old's determination + intensity to win every point - it's a rarity on the WTA Tour these days - and she can sure hit the fuzz off the ball.

"As for the women, be sure to give a gander to Dinara Safina. Last year’s "It Girl" had a great Aussie Open this year, but other than that she’s had some tough losses. I actually think Victoria Azarenka will give her another one."

I watched the match last night and I was really impressed with Vika's play to close out the match. Let's hope she continues! She could add some drama to the otherwise boring women's side of the tourney.